Learning Ecosystems

Learning powered by technology — from ednetinsight.com
Karen Cator, Director, Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education

The vision and model of learning articulated in the National Education Technology Plan, Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology, was informed by the ideas, case studies, research, and involvement of thousands of teachers, parents, students, researchers, professors, and policymakers. The model posits that in order to transform American education, we need to leverage modern technologies to create a massively customized, superpowered learning environment tuned for this generation of students.

We are seeing more and more examples of effective and compelling learning opportunities in and out of classrooms using digital resources and online collaborative environments to engage and inform teachers and students. There are countless articles published, stories told, and student work displayed showcasing global interactions, presentations of creative solutions to complex problems, and professional grade works done by students and worthy of a wide audience. We are observing teachers challenging students with interesting assignments that allow for exploration and practice using technologies to do their work.

We see increasing inclusion of social and participatory experiences coupled with online learning. And alongside this advent of social networking technologies comes the ability to access presentations, lectures, and interviews with experts; repositories of highly produced media; and a wealth of museum, national, state, and local park resources and library and reference materials previously available only in physical locations. All of this is “at our fingertips” and “on the go” in our increasingly mobile-enabled world. These existing and emerging technologies, resources, and interactions combine to create what should be the golden age of teaching and learning.

So as we manage this transition from a predominantly print-based classroom to a digital learning environment, we have been launching a number of initiatives. Here are a few worth mentioning…